Lakeside axe head markings and questions

[ttr125mar]

Hello, new to forum. I would like to thank you for all the information I had gathered off this site. I recently got into axe's, I cut trees down part time, always took great pride in my chainsaws, but never really used an axe. I won't give up my saws but I figured I'll restore some axes. I redid one axe (gave to a friend for his bday) I'm in the middle of doing another. With an old Swedish KB head, also have a 4.5lb Hults bruk head to rehang.
I recently bought a lakeside head (about 3.5lb). I understand that Montgomery Ward sold these axes, and no one is really certain who actually made the axes. I did lots of research, that's pretty much what I got.
On this axe, there is stamped lakeside on one side, W 29 on the other and a K. I assume the W is for Ward but can't figure the 29 (not weight, maybe year?) And no idea as to the K. The head has been abused, I plan to file it square, but I'm worried about the rust in the eye, would this compromise strength? I plan to remove it. Is this head worth restoring?

Any information is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mario

 

[Square_peg]

Don't worry about rust in the eye. Knock out anything big and flaky and remove any burrs from the top of bottom of the eye with a half-round file.

Re-shaping that bit looks like grinder work. Much faster and it won't hurt the temper if you hold the bit at 90° to the wheel and quench once in a while. Draw out the shape you want with a sharpy and then go to work with the grinder - but only with the bit at 90° to the wheel. Thinning the bit with a grinder is where your burn the temper. So once you have the outline you want then switch to the file to thin and sharpen the edge.

 

[Agent_H]

ttr125mar - I have kind of a "Lakeside fetish" of sorts and usually pick them up when I find them. The "W" might be Warren Axe and Tool and the number the year of production. The numbers don't line up with the weights as far as I can tell.

I don't know that for sure but it comes up now and again. I feel the W marked ones are higher quality - just from filing on them.

The Lakeside double bit shows a W 3 2 with both of them the same size. I was looking at the other Lakeside I have and noticed it had the same markings but at W 3 5. I ran some chalk over the weight markings on this one just to make them show better.



Now I am curious as to who made them.

2cents.

 

[ttr125mar]

Square_Peg, that's good information. I have access to a bench grinder at work. Would you do the same for the mushrooming (90° to the grinder) or just file? Also would a little die grinder be okay to use in the eye, or would I risk of taking to much off? Once grinded, do you have to sand it to a fine grit to get the markings off?
Thank you for the information.

Agent_H, that's exactly what I wanted to here. I thought for sure it had to be the year. I see a lot of pictures of lakeside and they all have no stamping beside 'lakeside'. For 10$ at an estate sale, can't beat it.
Thank you for the information.

Thanks,
Mario

 

[Matt Hubler]

I began reconditioning old double and single axe heads about 5 years ago! I love it! Reading about the Lakeside Axes and the information was helpful on who made them. One suggestion don’t use grinders to sharpen the blades use a bench type belt sander. Then follow up with a hand held diamond flat file. You can make these old relics into razor sharp edges and even take out most damage areas to the blade if it has some. The axe head itself I use a brass wire wheel followed by rubbing down the head with gun oil!!

 

[garry3]

Hello, new to forum. I would like to thank you for all the information I had gathered off this site. I recently got into axe's, I cut trees down part time, always took great pride in my chainsaws, but never really used an axe. I won't give up my saws but I figured I'll restore some axes. I redid one axe (gave to a friend for his bday) I'm in the middle of doing another. With an old Swedish KB head, also have a 4.5lb Hults bruk head to rehang.
I recently bought a lakeside head (about 3.5lb). I understand that Montgomery Ward sold these axes, and no one is really certain who actually made the axes. I did lots of research, that's pretty much what I got.
On this axe, there is stamped lakeside on one side, W 29 on the other and a K. I assume the W is for Ward but can't figure the 29 (not weight, maybe year?) And no idea as to the K. The head has been abused, I plan to file it square, but I'm worried about the rust in the eye, would this compromise strength? I plan to remove it. Is this head worth restoring?

Any information is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mario

I think AgentH nailed it. Sure looks like a Warren date stamp.
Probably a thread or two around here on Lakeside axes.